Fabric of Hair Investigates: Balancing Your Scalp Microbiome, Does It Solve Hair-Care Problems?🧐
Thanks to the wellness-world buzz surrounding the microbiome over the last few years, You might know that your body is teeming with bacteria. And believe it or not, that’s actually a good thing. When they’re properly balanced.
For a long time we have known the benefits of a healthy microbiome in other parts of our bodies, however we’re just now starting to learn more about the impact it can have on our scalp and hair health.
The microbiome is an ecosystem of bacteria, fungus, and parasites that lives on the surface of your skin, as well as your scalp. “Your scalp microbiome is very similar to your skin microbiome, but the only difference is that the inside of hair follicle itself technically has its own microbiome. Your follicles push out sebum (the natural oil that makes your hair greasy when you go a few days without washing it)—which the bacteria and fungus on your scalp will feed on.
Like your skin microbiome, your scalp’s microbiome is its first line of defense against the outside world, which means that keeping it in check is critical to your overall hair health. Keeping the microbiome balanced basically means fighting off the negative microbes that harm the skin or scalp while preserving and nourishing its benefits. When this balance is disrupted, where the negative microbes become dominant and overpower the positive microbes.
There are a number of things that can lead to this sort of disruption, most of which start with your daily hair-care rituals. Some common causes include product buildup, dead-cell, and dirt accumulation, stripping the scalp from over-washing hair, and not properly drying the hair after you shower, since the damp environment is ideal for bacteria to grow.
The products you use on your hair and scalp can, understandably, have an impact on what’s going on up there too. Though you won’t be able to see any sort of imbalance on the microscopic level, it will eventually show itself on a larger scale that will be hard to miss. Disruption of the microbiome can alter your scalp’s immune response, which can lead to issues like seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis.
In conclusion: The scalp microbiome, when in good health, is a beneficial ecosystem of living bacteria. When in balance it can defend against and recover from aggression.
But if the fragile balance of this microbiome is weakened, scalp ailments and discomfort start to emerge.🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓